The Corner of Quirky & Kinky

It’s time for another Nostalgic Notes post, and this time it’s movies. There are a ton of movies that I have massive nostalgia for. And nearly everyone of these is quoted regularly around our house.

Unless you’re new here, you had to know this one would be at the top of the list. Yes, I know there are aspects of it that are a bit creepy. But I still love it – problematic themes and all. Incidentally, I hadn’t known Jenny Trout for very long when we both quoted the same dialogue in this movie in response to something someone else had said. I knew then that we were going to be awesome friends. I was right.

Speaking of problematic themes, there are definitely some in here (discovered during later rewatches) but I have happy memories all around this one. See also:

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen this movie. But, I can tell you that I haven’t seen it near as many times as my sister has. It was one of her very favorites. And the Elizabeth Shue singing the Babysitting Blues is one of my favorite things, ever.

I was about to type, ‘who doesn’t love this movie?’. Then I remembered my dear friend Roxanne. She doesn’t love this movie. She also loathes musicals. And thinks Labyrinth would be better without the songs. (!!!!) But I love her anyway. I first saw this, when Alex Kourvo came home from college, showed up on my doorstep and kidnapped me to take me to the movies. It was one of the best dates I’ve ever had.

Alex and I saw a lot of movies together. And often repeatedly. Like these gems.

I will never not love these movies. Never.

The first Terminator movie will always be my favorite Terminator movie – even if it did inspire a real and terrifying phobia of AI and Skynet. And who the fuck doesn’t adore Kiefer Sutherland as a vampire?!

My deep and abiding love for Winona Ryder began here. And Beetlejuice is one of those movies that gets quoted constantly around here. Particularly, “If you don’t let me gut out this house and make it my own, I will go insane, and I will take you with me!” And “My life is one big, dark room.”

This, along with The Grinch, is our annual, must-watch Christmas movie. Usually while we’re making Christmas cookies. It’s also quoted year-long. Hans Gruber is hands down my favorite villain of all time. I. Love. Him.

Okay, now, I know there are some people who say that Tim Curry phoned in his performance in this movie, but I don’t care. Tim Curry is precious. As are all of the Muppets. The songs are pure gold. And hilarious. And were the soundtrack of my life when my kids were wee.

Speaking of kids, I loved these two when I was little and so did both of my kids. Both still get quoted on the regular around here. Particularly, “Oh, bother.” and “I will bite you, Chuchundra.”

I fucking love The Animaniacs, and Spooky Stuff is my very favorite compilation video. Not that I can watch it anymore, or you know, any video. I wish they’d make a DVD of this one. It’s brilliant and we quote it all the time.

Last, but certainly not least, are these. My brothers and I often quote Highlander – in fact, one of them just texted me a Highlander quote the other day in response to something I’d said.

And whenever I pick up someone’s baby, I almost always say, “I stole the baby!” And when someone responds with “Stupid Daikini!” or something along those lines, I’m always delighted.

Okay, that’s it from me, this week. And holy crap, apparently, there are a lot of movies I feel nostalgic about! How about you? What movies do you get the nostalgic feels for?

12 thoughts on “Nostalgic Notes: Movies”

Real Genius, I love that movie with an undying passion. Beetlejuice also gets quoted around my house but its usually something along the lines of, “Open this door or I will break it down and drag you out by the rope you hanged yourselves with!” I don’t think that’s exactly the movie the line, but that’s what we say.

Essence of Gelfling! Communism is just a red herring! Niiine times! It’s a great list, lining up nicely with my favorite nostalgic movies, though there’s a few here I’ve never seen and probably should.

Adventures in Babysitting, Real Genius, Purple Rain, The Lost Boys, and The Animaniacs Spooky Stuff, though I did watch the show for most of its original run so I’ve probably seen a lot of the content as it aired. I’ve seen the rest, some dozens of times (like Labyrinth, The Dark Crystal, Beetlejuice, Ferris Bueller, and Heathers) and some only once (Highlander, The Terminator, Sixteen Candles.)

You MUST see The Lost Boys. It’s super early 90s, but it’s a delight. Kiefer Sutherland and the Cories in particular. We watched it just last fall with the kids and they loved it and I still loved it. I haven’t seen Real Genius in ages and I want to again. Val Kilmer was fab in it. I haven’t seen Adventures in Babysitting recently, either, but I’d like to. Maybe I’ll make Cait watch it for all the times she made me watch it. 😀 Purple Rain didn’t age terribly well, but nostalgia being what it is…

Spooky stuff had the Rita and Runt where they went to Salem for the witch trials, and the one that Bernadette Peters was in – she was a mad scientist and wanted Runt’s brain. And the one where the Animaniac’s went to Dracula’s castle, the one where they went to Hell, and my all time fave, the one where they had to battle Death for Wakko’s soul after he died during a meatball eating contest. 😀

so many awesome movies!! I love Sixteen Candles and Jude and I quote it back and forth to each other. Anthony Michael Hall is the bomb. Die Hard and Lethal Weapon are our holiday favs. LOL ! As I tell people all the time, hey they’re set during the season.

Ah . . . the quoting of movies. It doesn’t happen a lot in my house. However, I do remember one vacation with my ex and his entire family – parents and various siblings with their spouses and kids. Being such a large group, it was a camping trip done by caravan. There were five or six vehicles all connected by cb radio. (Remember those?) Anyway, to pass the miles a game of who could quote, in context from movies. Star Wars and Star Trek were used the most. For miles and miles anyone on the same channel as us herd things like “Beam us up Scotty.” “Fascinating.” “Let the force guide you.” “I love you.” “I know” Well I think you get the idea. That was actually the best vacation we ever took.

That sounds like a freaking hilarious road trip. My sibs and I used to play “Stump the Sibling”. One of us would deliver a line of dialogue from a movie and the others would have to respond with the next line. And if we couldn’t do that, we had to name the character, actor, and movie. It got brutal sometimes. 😀

WILLOW! I’ve forgotten about that one. I loved that movie. I recall some great sci-fi movies I saw when I was younger with my dad – we are talking about the original Clash of the Titans and my favorite: KRULL – I saw that one over and over. Then there was Battlestar Galactica and 2001/2010. haha.